IBM

Introduction This is the final installment of the five-part series where I examined the past operating histories and valuations of the 30 Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks. With this 5 Part series I attempted to cover the 30 Dow stocks in order of highest valuations to lowest. For the most part, I suggested that the Read more about Are These 5 Dow Stocks As Cheap As They Appear?: Part 5 of 5[…]

Finding attractively valued dividend growth stocks is getting harder and harder to do. The overall market has been on a relentless advance for many years now, and high quality dividend paying growth stocks have been leaders. Consequently, valuations have become extended beyond historical norms and I contend prudence. Nevertheless, there are attractive dividend growth stocks available if you’re willing to look hard enough.

As the stock market continues its relentless advance, attractive valuations are getting harder and harder to find. This is especially true for the highest quality blue-chip dividend growth stocks. Perhaps more importantly, in addition to the market’s relentless advance, there has also been a clear flight to quality – especially with dividend growth stocks. Therefore, the vast majority of the best-of-breed blue-chip dividend paying stocks are currently trading at elevated levels. In other words, finding high quality and value is very rare today in the dividend growth segment.

I screened the Dividend Contenders list provided by fellow Seeking Alpha Author David Fish searching for attractive valuation. This article presents 10 Dividend Contenders that I considered most attractive based on valuation and forecast long-term earnings and dividend growth. I want to be clear that these selections are not offered as a portfolio. Instead, these are 10 individual selections with various degrees of safety, yield and valuation levels that prospective investors can choose from. Hopefully, there is something here for every reader depending upon their own unique investment goals and objectives. […]

Retirees: I Did Not Buy IBM to Sell, It’s About The Dividend Income Stupid

Introduction

There are many investing strategies and principles that retired investors can utilize to reduce the risk associated with investing in equities (stocks) for their retirement portfolios. Choosing to invest in the highest quality stocks your mind can conceive sits at the top of the list. There are many components that investors can analyze and examine to determine whether a company is high quality or not. […]

We are in the seventh year of a strong bull market, and stock valuations have generally become extended as measured by the S&P 500. It is undeniable that the overall market’s valuation today is higher than it has been in years. However, even though that statement may be true in the general sense, it does not mean that every stock in the market is overvalued. Nevertheless, there are many investors unwilling to invest in any common stocks simply because they believe the market is too high, even though there may be many individual stocks available at attractive valuations. […]

The value and benefits, or lack thereof, of share buybacks to the future fortunes of a company and their shareholders is one of the most hotly debated subjects on popular financial blogs such as Seeking Alpha. Unfortunately, at least based on my own personal experience, most of the arguments are predicated on opinions and beliefs in lieu of the facts.

Introduction When investing in common stocks, there is no one strategy that fits all investors. Some investors are focused on investing for income, some for capital appreciation and others for various combinations of both. Additionally, there is the issue of risk tolerance. Some investors are willing and capable of assuming greater risk if they believe Read more about Stocks for 2014: Growth and Income For Total Return Part 3[…]